Rail flaw detector car mechanism



H. C. DRAKE RAIL FLAW DETECTOR CAR MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20, 1945 EXHAUST 70 SOURCE OF COMPIFFXSED 4/ INVENTOR. /%1/?c0w?r 6725mm:- I 2%?) Patented Aug. 16 1949 UNITED STATES RAIL Fem nrrizic'roa Harcourt C. Drake;- HempsteadiNifli assig nbr Sperry Products;;,Inc:,- Holiblien;

- poration of New-York Appl cation Septemb 20, 19i5ji$ji 12 Claims. (01:155-2483) This invention relates to improvements in'rail fissure detector car mechanisms of the type em- 7 played in thesperry rail flaw detector car wherein spaced contact brushes are employed for the purpose of passing current through the rail be rent through the signal operating relay is short circuited bythe car, causing the signal lightto turnto red. However, the electric circuit est-ab iished' between the spaced current brushes will supply current to thesignal opera-ting relay when the sets of brushes straddlethe insulated joint,

Thus current will be supplied tothis rela'vat a T time when it should be short-'circuitedand' the signal light will show green when itshould'show red. 7 c. s o

This condition is-not dangerous when the ear is "moving, since'the improper indication by tl'ie signal lightwill be only 'momentary for a period of one second or less' which it takes the-brushes to pass over theinsulatedjoint. The dangerous 7 condition arises when the'car-stOps with the brushes down, and the' brushes happen to straddle a 9 the insulated joint. At such time it' is very important that the signal give the proper indication, but by reason of the condition described above, the signal will be giving the green indi cation when itshould-be" indicating red.

It is one of the principal objects of this invention, therefore, to provide means Whichwiilpre vent lowering of the c'ontact brushes, or, if the brushes are in lowered position, will causc' the brushes to be raised, when the car is stationary.

There are of course, times when it is necessary to have the brushesin lowered-position when the car .is standing still. It is, therefore; another ob- 'ject of this {invention to provide means in conjunction with the-mean described above, which will: nevertheless permit anioperator-to lower-the brushes when the carisstationary. o

Further objects and advantages of thisinv'en tion will become apparent in the following detailed description there'ofg' 7 7 2 V Iifthe accompanying 3 drawings; F -N1 is a sid i 9 a p ti uq S a rail naweetecwr car saving niv'iiivention applied thereto. I I

Fig. is wiring-diagram 9 illustrating r the theory utiderlizifig vention' Fig; 3 is awning diagrair'i illustratiiig one form -1 crane raivingsthereis'dise closes a det''ctor mism appiieu tda Sperry detectorcar -E-portidi'i of thearbody I0 is s own; haves*suspeiggea -therefiom a current il' havingfrdiitand rear sets of Rsremp tori brusu |-2'-' ana I 3 desig'iid to lead current into and out of aii 'R; the current'being supplied itiimthe car. Ihe current :rte'd ontherail-bywhe'els I sweetener-carri ge l5. ;1gng:- tne resonant suitable means uch a r uerg I8-and' maybe connected'toflt-he' c'u eht briish*-carriage by means A gse y ttiii bolt'slfi' oand springs l1 'ay rnoverl'a'tive J,' ?'i rh %t{m y}? :lewe edy opening a valve 26 to permit compressed air to ent -cylind rs-21pmidep sszp stqnsathe ei a d henceadepitess: piston rods fluconnected to the pistons:saidaapiston'irodsebeingconn cted to car,- ri'age 1H. '-'I?he'.car1iages:;arezthus lowered into engagement with th'earasil"asninst the action of the spfings', zblfi? as: soomas 1131161 compressed air ais shutiofiiand ithe iexhaust.openedyathe springs will raise the carriag: V c 7 Referring "g;: -2f ithergirohiem which the above'structur creatsgunderinertainconditions, can ncw described; lt-wilt be'zseen thatifail 40) provide a short circuit between the rail sections, which reduces the current through relay 35 and causes the signal to turn red. This is the case when the trucks of the detector car enter the section of track which includes R and R", but when the sets of brushes l2 and I3 straddle an insulated joint, such as joint 3|, current from the generator G is supplied to the relay and counteracts the short-circuiting efiect of the trucks. The relay thus remains energized and the signal light shows green when it should show red.

As stated in the introduction, this condition is objectionable and dangerous only when the car happens to be standing still with the brushes l2 and I3 straddling .the insulated joint. Whenthe car is moving, this condition lasts for only one second or fraction thereof. Therefore, I have provided means which will prevent brushes I2 and [3 from remaining in lowered position in engagement with the rail when the car is standing still. This will prevent such a condition arising as is shown in Fig. 2. For accomplishing this purpose, I utilize the speedometer which is now employed on the cars and may comprise a belt and pulley drive 50, 51, 52 which operates a generator 55 to generate a voltage which is a function of the speed of the car. The speed may thus be read directly on voltmeter 56. Connected to the generator 55 is a relay 66 which will receive current from the generator if the car is in motion, but if the car is not in motion, the coil 60 will be ole-energized. When the car is in motion and current is passing through coil 60, it will attract its armature 6| to cause contact 62 carried thereby to engage contact 63 and close the circuit through coil 65 which operates the stem 66 of the compressed air valve 26. The battery 61 supplies the current for this circuit and when the operator depresses switch 10 to close contact H. the circuit through coil 65 is energized, valve 26 is opened to admit compressed air to cylinders 21, and the carriage I I is depressed. However, when the car is standing still, generator 55 does not supply current to relay 60, thus allowing spring to separate contacts 62 and 63 to break the circuit through coil 65 even though switch H1 is closed. Compressed air valve 26 is thus closed, the exhaust is opened and the springs are permitted to raise the carriage ll. Thus, when the car stops, the current brush carriage II will be raised so that the condition shown in Fig. 2 cannot arise and the signal will not be wrongly operated.

At those times when it is desired to lower the carriage even though the car is stationary and coil 60 is de-energized, and hence contacts 62 and 63 are broken, there may be provided a switch 80 controlling a pair of normally open contacts 8| which short circuit the contacts 62, 63. Thus by closing contacts 8| a circuit is established through coil 65 after switch 10 is closed. The switch 80 may be kept under a special lock so that it cannot ordinarily be accidentally operated.

The foregoing description of the invention is t merely illustrative and changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means controls said carriage raising and lowering means.

2. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means renders said carriage raising means ineffective and said carriage lowering means efiective during movement of the car.

3. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means renders said carriage raising means effective when the car stops. 7

4. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means renders said carriage raising means ineffective and said carriage lowering means effective during movement of the car and renders said carriage raising means effective and said carriage lowering means ineffective when the car stops.

5. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means normally effective for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said lastnamed means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means controls said carriage lowering means.

6. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on saidcarriage, means normally effective for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with.

the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail When the car is stationary, said lastnamed means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means renders said carriage lowering means effective and ineffective.

7. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means'normally effective for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said lastnamed means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, and means whereby said responsive means renders said carriage loweringv means effective and ineffective when the car is moving and stationary, respectively.

8. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said oarriage, means normally effective for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means including an electric circuit for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means for generating current only in response to movement of the car, means including a relay for controlling said circuit to render the carriage lowering means effective and ineffective, and means whereby said current generating means supplies current to said relay to render the same effective and inefiective when the car is moving and stationary, respectively.

9. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means for lowering 'the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, means whereby said responsive means renders said carriage raising means ineffective and said carriage lowering means effective during movement of the car and renders said carriage raising means effective and said carriage lowering means ineffective when the car stops, and a second means for rendering the carriage raising means inefiective and the carriage lowering means effective when the car stops.

10. Ina rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means, for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriag from remaining in engagement with the second means for rendering the carriage lowerrail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means responsive only to movement of the car, means whereby said responsive means renders said carriageraising means ineffective and said carriage lowering means efiective during movement of the car and renders said carriage raising means effective and said carriage lowering means ineffective when the car stops, and a second means for rendering the carriage raising means ineffective and the carriage lowering means efiective when the car stops, the second means including means for bypassing the means for rendering the carriage lowering means ineffective.

11. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means normally effective for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means including an electric circuit for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means for generating current only in response to movement of the car, means including a relay for controlling said circuit to render the carriage lowering means effective and inefiective, means whereby said current generating means supplies current to said relay to render the same effective and ineffective when the car is moving and stationary, respectively, and a ing means effective when the car is stationary. 12. In a rail flaw detector car having a carriage, spaced current brushes supported on said carriage, means normally effective for raising the carriage out of engagement with the rail, means including an electric circuit for lowering the carriage into engagement with the rail and means for supplying current to the brushes, characterized by means for preventing said carriage from remaining in engagement with the rail when the car is stationary, said last-named means comprising means for generating current in response to movement of th car, means including a relay for controlling said circuit to render the carriage lowering means effective and ineffective, means whereby said current generating means supplies current to said relay to render the same effective and ineffective whenthe car is moving and stationary, respectively, and a second means for rendering the carriage lowering means effective when the car is stationary, said second means including means for short-circuiting the relay.

HARCOURT C. DRAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inrthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,922,019 Jones Aug. 8, 1933 1,996,924 Jones Apr. 9, 1935 2,175,196 Keevil Oct. 10, 1939 2,220,881 Barnes et al Nov. 12, 1940 2,265,137 Barnes et al. Dec. 9, 1941 2,317,718 Barnes et al. Apr. 27, 1943 

